Well done! Hitting upon this feature proves you must be contemplating your career, and if you're considering retraining that means you've taken it further than most. Are you aware that a small minority of us would say we are contented at work - but the majority will take no corrective action. We implore you to be different and take action - don't you think you deserve it.

On the subject of training, it's vital to first define what you want and don't want from the job you're looking to get into. Ensure that a new career would suit you better before you put a lot of energy into taking a new turn. We recommend looking at the whole story first, to make an informed decision:

* Would you like lots of contact with people? If the answer's yes, would you enjoy being part of a team or is meeting new people important to you? Or would you rather work alone with a task?

* Are you considering which industry you could be employed in? (Post credit crunch, it's even more crucial to get it right.)

* Is this the last time you want to study, and if so, will your chosen career path offer that choice?

* Do you have the assurance that retraining in your chosen sector is commercially viable, and will make it possible to allow you to work up to the time you want to stop?

It's important that you consider the IT industry - everyone knows that it's on the grow. It's not full of geeky individuals staring at computers all day - of course those roles do exist, but the majority of roles are carried out by ordinary people who do very well out of it.

With all the options available, does it really shock us that most potential career changers balk at what job they should even pursue. After all, if you've got no experience in the IT sector, how can you expect to know what someone in a particular field actually does day-to-day? How can you possibly choose what accreditation path would be most appropriate for ultimate success. To come through this, we need to discuss a variety of different aspects:

* Your personality can play a starring role - what kind of areas spark your interest, and what are the activities that put a frown on your face.

* What time-frame are you looking at for the training process?

* Have you thought about salary vs job satisfaction?

* Often, trainees don't consider the level of commitment needed to achieve their goals.

* You need to understand what differentiates each area of training.

At the end of the day, the most intelligent way of covering these is through an in-depth discussion with an advisor or professional that has enough background to give you the information required.

Remember: the actual training program or an accreditation isn't what this is about; a job that you're getting the training for is. Many trainers unfortunately over-emphasise the certificate itself. It's not unheard of, for example, to thoroughly enjoy one year of training and then spend 20 miserable years in a career that does nothing for you, as an upshot of not doing the correct level of soul-searching when it was needed - at the start.

Stay tuned-in to what it is you're trying to achieve, and build your study action-plan from that - don't do it the other way round. Stay focused on the end-goal - making sure you're training for an end-result that will keep you happy for many years. It's worth seeking help from a professional who can explain the sector you're considering, and who can offer 'A typical day in the life of' synopsis of the job being considered. This is absolutely essential because you need to know if this change is right for you.

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